The trend toward conservation practices in agriculture has led to the utilization of no-till and conservation tillage attachments for use in conjunction with conventional seed planting implements. In a conservation tillage program, the formation of the seed trench and the placement of the seed in the seed trench follows after cutting and clearing away of the prior crop residue and fracturing of the soil ahead of the seed trench opener. Also, it is sometimes desirable to apply dry or liquid fertilizer ahead of and to one side of the seed trench.
Placing separate attachments in sequence ahead of the seed planting unit to accomplish the required steps of cutting the crop residue, clearing it away, fracturing the soil, and applying fertilizer has proven to be impractical. This sequential arrangement of tools requires long supporting frames that result in poor tool tracking and poor material placement when turning for contours or end rows.
Coulter blades are used as preopeners to fracture the soil in hard, rough ground, and double disk fertilizer openers are used to form a fertilizer trench and clear away crop residue. In some conditions, the coulter blades and double disk openers push the crop residue or vegetation into the soil without cutting it, thus providing a poor seedbed. Also, to function and penetrate properly in hard soils, double disk fertilizer openers require higher forces and strength of structure than is practical to build.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved conservation tillage attachment for a seed planting implement.